I enjoy reading comic books and Japanese graphic novels (manga), and some of my favorites include: Batman, Battle Angel Alita, Full Metal Alchemist, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Rozen Maiden, and Sandman. Many superhero comics are not of interest because of the unrealistic powers and they are easily resurrected from the dead in any circumstance. X-Men have become a mixed bag in the past few years. The series has utilized shock value for sales ranging from Republican bashing, homosexual characters, pedophilia references, to even Nightcrawler father being Satan himself. The series has brought too many characters into the spotlight which dilutes character development. While this has opened the door to many character interactions and storylines, it can be a long wait until you see your favorite characters again.
Modern culture mentality has leaned towards that any form of prejudice is wrong and immoral. Ironically, it is hilarious there are many hypocrites who share such a belief that are passionately against religion -- such irony. Despite cultural or ancestral background, there are other forms of prejudice that exists on the conscious and unconscious levels that individuals may not be aware of. For example, people are biased when choosing a life partner with particular physical and mental characteristics they are interested in. Therefore, is it completely wrong to be against homosexuality, prejudice against certain races and/or cultures, etcetera? No, it is not wrong. You do not have to like everybody. It is perfect okay to dislike anybody for whatever reason. However, it is only wrong to act upon such judgment. Just because somebody is dressed in drag is wrong to physically or mentally harm such person, or even spread slander; however, feel free to not want to be their friend because of it. You do not have to be friends with everybody. Your mind it yours and nobody can touch it. Feel free to think and believe anything you desire, because nobody will ever know.
One of the biggest misuses of a term people use for those who do not share their views is "close-minded." If you do not share my views, then you must be close-minded! I love that quote, and I have heard it quite often in debating circles. Chances are, it is the speaker him or herself that is close-minded. Why might that be? Open-mindedness merely means one is receptive to other point-of-views. An open-minded person must be willing to hear out the other side of the argument and seriously consider if they will incorporate that point-of-view or modify their views completely. What the speaker is more likely to mean is that somebody who thinks homosexuality is wrong, abortion is wrong, etc is a "moral or ideal absolutist." The speaker is likely a "moral or ideal relativist" who is a person whom believes everything should be acceptable. You will find conservatives typically fall in the absolutist category, and liberals fall in the relativist category. That is not always the case though. Also, it is common for relativists to be hypocritical because while they believe everything should be acceptable, they cannot tolerate absolutists' point-of-views.
Love is a very complicated issue and far more complex than society realizes. The Census Bureau estimates that half of all marriages will be dissolved. Seems like society has poor dating practices commonly dating whoever is physically attractive or available. While physical attraction and availability is two factors on determining a life mate, they should not be the only factors. One should also look at responsibility, commonalities and characteristics in determining whether to date, mate and/or marry an individual. Even though a boyfriend might seem like one is having an enjoyable time when hanging out at bars, will he quit and become a responsible father should an offspring arise? What if a guy is a hardcore gamer and the girlfriend has little interest in games? Should they marry will she tolerate him spending time and resources on gaming? The purpose to finding a life mate is seeking a partner to be your mate until the end of your lifespan. What is the purpose if the couple cannot tolerate each other? Individuals should choose who to date and marry cautiously.
What are even more baffling are people who claim to have become accidentally pregnant. Who are they kidding? Did the female accidentally trip onto the male while nude, and they pulled themselves apart with excessive friction? I think not. With even more caution than dating itself should an individual choose who to have sexual intercourse with. There is always the chance of becoming pregnant and risk of transmitting STDs. Should one decide to have sexual intercourse the person must decide if their partner would be a desirable and responsible parent should a pregnancy occur.
I am a proponent of debating. Some believe that arguing and debating is completely useless, and only exists to create problems; however, this is not entirely true. The problem with arguing is that it is too easy for somebody to get their feelings hurt, or to feel like they "lost" an argument so they go into psychological warfare by using profanity or derogatory comments. Debating is a great way to test your opinions, morals, ideals, and beliefs against opposing point of views to see how well do they stand up. If you cannot properly back up your claims, chances are you do not understand them enough. If your argument turns out to be weak, find out why, and improve upon it. Do not just call somebody a moron, an idiot, or use excessive profanity to demean the opposition. Such tactics are unintelligent and is cheap use of psychological warfare.
One of my favorite foods to eat is beef jerky. I love beef jerky. If it were possible, I would marry beef jerky. Just kidding! Seriously though, look for teriyaki beef jerky that has pineapple juice in it. You can find them in individual packaging at gas stations (primo locations for beef jerky). The best beef jerky that exists is Oberto honey-cured beef jerky, but that stuff is extremely difficult to obtain. It is available in a big container, and the jerky is sticky with honey, and has the perfect taste and quality. I do not understand why some people prefer black pepper flavored, since it just tastes like crap to me. Jack Link's is a popular brand, but it's too greasy and you can taste it. The grease leaves an off-flavor to the jerky which is a shame. Turkey jerky tastes very similar to beef jerky, but is probably healthier. Chicken jerky is good, but it does not taste like beef jerky at all.
I love eating out at fast food places. Dine-in restaurants take a serious chunk out of an individual's life: long ordering time, waiting for the food to arrive (this can take over an hour at times), and then have to wait for the check. If they screw up your order, sometimes you can never find anybody to complain to! The only dine-in restaurant I like is just Bennigan's. They are an Irish restaurant with some good food. Try the Southwest egg rolls... mmm. The best pizza places are the ones in the mall food courts. Screw Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza, the mall is where it's at. The best Chinese food is at Pick-up Stix in Southern California. Pick-up Stix's food is not like anybody else’s. For one thing, the wontons have plum sauce drizzled on them, plus a teriyaki-like sauce to dip them in. The food is grilled over a large flame which can shoot a few feet into the air. It is quite entertaining to watch. If do not live in California, the Panda Express in mall food courts are good. I like ordering BBQ pork, teriyaki chicken, egg rolls, and chow mien. Personally, I think sushi taste like Styrofoam. Some people believe it tastes good or disgusting, but it is flavorless without any sauces. Blimpies and Quizzno's have the best submarine sandwiches. Forget the crap at Subway. Also, I like eating burgers at In-N-Out and Jack in the Box. The best burgers are available in Roarin' Fork in Phoenix, Arizona. Roarin' Fork has a tray of all you can eat beef jerky at every table! Spicy food, free beef jerky, and the burgers use ground rib eye steak--rather than ground beef. Good stuff!
If you are looking to do some traveling, I recommend visiting southern California. I especially recommend visiting San Diego since the scenery is quite exquisite, excellent shopping, and perfect weather. If you are looking to visit Arizona, then I recommend checking out Phoenix since it is the most populated and artistically designed city in the state.